This season I finally had a chance to scratch one off of my Bucket List. I’ve always wanted to visit New England in the fall. I had always heard that the changing of the leaves is spectacular, and I wanted to be there during the peak week. (Me and everyone else on the planet, I discovered!) While our Sonoran Desert holds its own beauty, brilliant red, yellow and orange leaves are pretty scarce. My trip to Woodstock, Vermont was worth the trip, and while there, I wanted to immerse myself in the New England food scene. That brings me to maple syrup. I couldn’t get enough of it, whether it was on my breakfast pancakes, a delicious ham slathered in a Vermont maple glaze or those iconic maple leaf-shaped candies. I came home with plenty of bottles of syrup which came in handy for this scrumptious holiday Maple Pecan Pie. This time of the year, while pumpkin pie is the go-to, pecan pie is right up there in popularity, and this version is definitely holiday worthy! It starts with a light and flakey crust, the perfect bed for a sweet, nutty and maple syrupy filling. So just in case searching for perfect holiday pies is on your bucket list, this one will not disappoint!
whipped cream
Cake in a Jar
The Story
This weekend’s Big Game will be one of the biggest snacking days of the year. So let me contribute to the munching mania with a really fun, simple, and ultra-transportable treat that you can whip up in no time – Cakes in a Jar! Yes, that’s right. I said jar. Half pint, wide mouth jars make perfect single serving cakes that you can bake up in the oven, cool down, seal, and take to the Super Bowl party. I’ll admit, I was skeptical about putting Mason jars in the oven until I researched and discovered that they are the same jars that you use for canning and are designed to withstand very high heat – sturdy enough to bake in! Then I found out that, although the Mason jar has been around since 1858, baking cakes in a jar is one of the newest baking crazes. With cakes in a jar, there’s no need to make up the batter to pour into the jar. Simply spoon the raw ingredients into the jars, add a slice of butter on top and the magic happens while baking. Then serve the tasty treats right from the jar. Here are two variations of my new favorite single-serve sensations.
